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South Market Street Bridge (Wilmington)
Encyclopedia
The South Market Street Bridge, officially the Senator John E. Reilly, Sr. Bridge, is a bascule bridge
that spans the Christina River
in Wilmington, Delaware
.
The current bridge, opened in 1927, is the latest of many bridges that have spanned the Christina at this location since 1808 when the first wooden turn bridge was constructed. Its construction was administered by the then State Highway Department (predecessor of the Delaware Department of Transportation), and was built to replace the swing bridge
that was built in 1883 to replace the wooden turn bridge built in 1808. The span is one of only three pre-1957 drawbridges of its type in Delaware.
In 1982, the bridge was named after Wilmington state Senator John Edward Reilly Sr., a gravel-voiced cigar smoker known for his warmth and wit, died of cancer Feb. 26, 1963.
The bridge underwent a major rehabilitation in 2004-2006 to replace and upgrade the existing machinery and improve lighting, pedestrian walkways, and the operator towers.
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
that spans the Christina River
Christina River
The Christina River is a tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 35 miles long, in northern Delaware in the United States, also flowing through small areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Near its mouth the river flows past downtown Wilmington, Delaware,...
in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
.
The current bridge, opened in 1927, is the latest of many bridges that have spanned the Christina at this location since 1808 when the first wooden turn bridge was constructed. Its construction was administered by the then State Highway Department (predecessor of the Delaware Department of Transportation), and was built to replace the swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
that was built in 1883 to replace the wooden turn bridge built in 1808. The span is one of only three pre-1957 drawbridges of its type in Delaware.
In 1982, the bridge was named after Wilmington state Senator John Edward Reilly Sr., a gravel-voiced cigar smoker known for his warmth and wit, died of cancer Feb. 26, 1963.
The bridge underwent a major rehabilitation in 2004-2006 to replace and upgrade the existing machinery and improve lighting, pedestrian walkways, and the operator towers.